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    Augustine and Manicheism

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    Anne Lupaz
    Manichaeism was a dualistic religious sect founded in the 3rd century by Mani that taught of an eternal struggle between light and darkness. Augustine was associated with the Manichees for 9 years in his youth before breaking away in 384. The Manichees taught that matter was intrinsically evil, God was made of matter, and salvation involved liberating the element of light through gnosis. They rejected ideas like the incarnation of Christ. Augustine disagreed with Manichaean dualism, the equation of matter with evil, their idea of redemption, and their claim that Mani was the Paraclete.

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    Augustine and Manicheism

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    Anne Lupaz
    147 views9 pages
    Manichaeism was a dualistic religious sect founded in the 3rd century by Mani that taught of an eternal struggle between light and darkness. Augustine was associated with the Manichees for 9 years in his youth before breaking away in 384. The Manichees taught that matter was intrinsically evil, God was made of matter, and salvation involved liberating the element of light through gnosis. They rejected ideas like the incarnation of Christ. Augustine disagreed with Manichaean dualism, the equation of matter with evil, their idea of redemption, and their claim that Mani was the Paraclete.

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    Manichaeism was a dualistic religious sect founded in the 3rd century by Mani that taught of an eternal struggle between light and darkness. Augustine was associated with the Manichees for 9 years in his youth before breaking away in 384. The Manichees taught that matter was intrinsically evil, God was made of matter, and salvation involved liberating the element of light through gnosis. They rejected ideas like the incarnation of Christ. Augustine disagreed with Manichaean dualism, the equation of matter with evil, their idea of redemption, and their claim that Mani was the Paraclete.

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    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    147 views9 pages

    Augustine and Manicheism

    Uploaded by

    Anne Lupaz
    Manichaeism was a dualistic religious sect founded in the 3rd century by Mani that taught of an eternal struggle between light and darkness. Augustine was associated with the Manichees for 9 years in his youth before breaking away in 384. The Manichees taught that matter was intrinsically evil, God was made of matter, and salvation involved liberating the element of light through gnosis. They rejected ideas like the incarnation of Christ. Augustine disagreed with Manichaean dualism, the equation of matter with evil, their idea of redemption, and their claim that Mani was the Paraclete.

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    of 9

    AUGUSTINE AND

    MANICHEAISM
    Sect’s Origin, Main Teachings,
    Traditions and Practices
    Fr. Czar Emmanuel V. Alvarez, OSA
    SAINT AUGUSTINE
    AND MANICHAEISM
    Quick Review …
    ca. 369-370: Augustine’s very first
    encounter with Manichaeism was
    through Romanianus, who sponsored his university
    studies in Carthage.
    ca. 374-383: For nine years, while teaching rhetoric in
    Carthage, Augustine was associated with the Manichees.
    (cf. De mor. Manich. 19.68)

    ca. 384: Augustine finally breaks away from the


    Manichean sect as he decides to transfer to Milan.
    MANICHAEISM
    • This is often described as
    a “religion of light” that aims
    at liberating the elements of light
    trapped within the human body.
    • This religious sect is believed to have originated in
    Babylon, Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) or in Persia
    (modern Iran) in the second century, founded by Mani
    (or Manes or Manichaeus).
    • In 1902-1903 many fragments of the writings of Mani
    and his followers were discovered in Chinese
    Turkestan, while in 1930 some Manichean texts in
    Coptic were unearthed in Egypt.
    ORIGIN OF MANICHAEISM
    • Mani (or Manes or Manichaeus) was originally a member of the
    Judaeo-Christian sect of the Elkasites (from the Biblical character
    Elkanah in the Books of Samuel).
    • He claims to have received divine revelation at the age of twelve;
    then at the age of twenty-four he was called by God to preach a
    “religion of light.”
    • Fundamental question raised by Manichaeism: UNDE MALUM?
    In answer to this, the Manichees came up with a dualistic
    doctrine: the co-existence of two eternally subsistent principles
    (cf. De mor. Manich. 3.5)
    • Primary Augustinian sources about the teachings of
    Manichaeism: Contra. ep. Man. quam vocant Fundamenti (in 43
    chapters); and De mor. Manichaeorum (in 20 chapters)
    MANICHEAN TEACHINGS
    • Rigid Dualism: co-existence of two eternal principles – that of light and
    that of darkness, or of good and of evil, male and female, etc. (cf. De mor.
    Manich. 3.5; 12.27; Contra ep. Man. 12.15-13.16; 15.19; 19.21-22.23; 28.31)
    • Matter is considered as a “substance” which is intrinsically evil and keeps
    the element of light in a state of imprisonment. (cf. De mor. Manich. 2.2);
    God conceived as made of matter. (cf. Contra ep. Man. 15.20; 23.25; 33.36-
    41.48)
    • Man must liberate the element of light within him through gnosis or true
    knowledge. (cf. Contra ep. Man. 14.17)
    • Jesus Christ, considered as one among the many prophets, came to
    communicate such gnosis to humanity. He came in the form of a
    phantasmagorical body! He was not born of a woman and did not possess a
    real body. (cf. Docetism) (cf. Contra ep. Man. 8.9)
    • The teachings of Jesus were completed by the Paraclete, which in turn is
    identified with or is personified in Mani himself! (cf. Contra ep. Man. 6.7-
    7.8; 9.10; 14.17)
    Cont … MANICHEAN TEACHINGS
    • Process of purification through three seals (signacula) (cf. De
    mor. Manich. 10.19) – namely, (a) signaculum oris (cf. De mor.
    Manich. 11.20-16.53), (b) signaculum manus (cf. De mor. Manich.
    17.54-64), and (c) signaculum sinus. (cf. De mor. Manich. 18.65-
    20.74)
    • Other Manichean practices: prayers seven times a day,
    observance of fasting,, frequent penitential rites, particular
    diet, observance of the following five commandments: (a) Thou
    shall not tell a lie, (b) Thou shall not kill, (c) Thou shall not eat
    meat, (d) Thou shall not engage in any sexual rapport, and (e)
    Thou shall not own anything!, etc.
    • Worship of luminaries (particularly of the sun and the moon) as
    “light ships” or “collector stations” that should guide us in our
    way back to the Kingdom of Light. (cf. De mor. Manich. 8.13)
    SOME ANTI-MANICHEAN WORKS
    OF SAINT AUGUSTINE
    De moribus ecclesiae catholicae
    et de moribus Manichaeorum (387/388)
    Contra epistulam Manichaei
    quam vocant Fundamenti (392)
    De Genesi adversus Manichaeos (388/389)
    Contra Fortunatum Manichaeum (392)
    Contra Adimantum Manichaei discipulum (394)
    Contra Faustum Manichaeum (397/399)
    Contra Secundinum Manichaeum (399)
    Contra Felicem Manichaeum (404)
    MAIN POINTS OF DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN
    SAINT AUGUSTINE AND THE MANICHEES
    1. Rejection of Manichaean dualism
    * Concept of evil as “privation”
    2. Rejection of equation between matter and evil
    * All things created by God are good
    3. Rejection of Manichaean idea of redemption
    * Resurrection of man in his totality
    4. Rejection of Manichaean docetic Christology
    * Christ as true God and Savior
    5. Rejection of Manichaean idea of gnosis
    * True gnosis comes from Christian faith
    6. Rejection of Mani’s claim of being the Paraclete
    * True Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ
    AUGUSTINE AND
    MANICHEAISM
    Sect’s Origin, Main Teachings,
    Traditions and Practices
    Fr. Czar Emmanuel V. Alvarez, OSA

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